


A turn of luck

by KhissaCat



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: CHAPTER 1 REWRITE!, Does that qualify as an AU?, F/M, Lucky Black Cat, Rating May Change, Reversed Luck AU I guess, There will be violence later!, Unlucky Ladybug, Warnings May Change, this is gonna be a long one!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-20 22:42:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9519122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KhissaCat/pseuds/KhissaCat
Summary: Every few centuries, the balance of good and bad luck in the world shifts, to correct this balance, karma plays a nasty little trick on the wielders of the Ladybug and Black cat miraculous! Marinette and Adrien find themselves in just such a predicament, where the Black cat is living a rather charmed life, whereas Marinette? lets just say she avoids her horoscope for a reason...





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1 has been overhauled! I have received some very valuable tips for you lovely people and have tried to take your advice into account in this rewrite!  
> Please let me know how I did!

Marinette hissed and flicked back her finger, a small crimson drop forming on the soft pad, she gave a resigned sigh as she reached back under her desk, a little more careful this time, retrieving the dropped pencil and the glass shard that had cut her. She didn’t bother to check if it was from the picture she’d broken this morning, or the mirror that she’d broken yesterday, a grimace pulled at the corner of her mouth, with her luck, irony would dictate it to be the mirror.  
Tikki had NOT been kidding… this was definitely a ‘switch’ generation for Ladybug and Chat Noir…  
A generation where the black cat kwami had all the luck, and the ladybug, well… let’s just say that it had been a good day so far, she had only bled twice… but at 09:30 AM the day was still young.

Mari whined in frustration as she plucked a paper from among a stack of others on her desk, the assignment that was due today, the one that had she forgotten to do… she stuffed the paper roughly into her bag, determined to ask for extension, surely the professor would understand, surely? Tears misted her eyes as she recalled the reasons for forgetting something as mundane as her assignments… she glanced unconsciously to the picture pasted against the remnants of her dresser mirror, a picture of her parents. Mari quickly stifled the tears that threatened to fall, she’d never imagined seeing her maman and papa of at the airport would be so hard… but her nana, Sabine’s mother, was gravely ill, and Sabine was the only family the ailing woman had left to care for her.

Mari had argued vehemently that she was fine, she would be _fine_! staying in Paris was for the best, she could not disrupt her studies indefinitely, “ _Don’t worry about me maman! I’m a big girl now! I’ll be fine!_ ” Mari shuddered, her knuckles whitening “ _What could go wrong?_ ” What indeed…

Her eyes met Tikki’s, the small kwami perched on her computer screen, she could swear there was guilt hidden in those fantastically blue orbs…

 

‘ _No. no no no no no no…_ ’ Mari tried her best to keep a straight face as the manager tried to let her down easy, all over Paris small businesses were being squeezed by the falling economy, they had to let her go… Mari carefully pulled off her apron with trembling hands ‘ _No no no no! please I need this!_ ’ handed it to the manager, ‘ _please please please I have nothing else!_ ’, picked up her bag, and left the shop without a word…  
A letter of demand from her land lord burning a hole in her top pocket… well, at least she still had her old room at the bakery…

From the folds of her scarf, Tikki sniffled softly.

 

It sounded hollow, like a tomb door closing. Mari’s head bowed as she pulled the trapdoor shut, descended the stairs from her lofted bedroom.

Empty rooms echoed her footsteps back to her, ghosts of the family who had filled the space with warmth and memories, and so much love. She hesitated in the bakery itself, the kitchen still smelled faintly of baking and sugar, and the phantom of her own laughter echoed to her, memories of her smiling father hovering over trays of freshly baked goodies, slipping his daughter samples while her mother wasn’t looking… she forced herself to turn away, the scene was damaged by sunlight filtering through the huge ‘new ownership’ signs hung in the window.  
The little bell mounted above the door tinkled mournfully as Mari stepped out into a brisk and windy city. Dutifully she locked the door, the estate agent would contact her later to pick up the keys. 

Mari hefted the bag containing the last of her meager possessions. Took a long look back, and walked away from the bakery that had been her home for as long as she could remember.

She didn’t even feel the first drops start to fall, she was numb. The brooding, black clouds that were rolling in over the city so vividly echoed her internal landscape that she barely registered the rain. Blindly she put one foot in front of another, unconsciously wending her way back to the campus, she didn’t know where else to go, she had nowhere else to go…

Tikki curled herself into a tighter ball in Mari’s pocket, glistening tears adding to the dampness seeping through her chosen’s jacket…

 

Marinette almost stopped breathing as someone passed the booth, she sighed when she heard the tuneless whistle, it was Carlos, the janitor. If he saw her he gave no indication that he had, ambling off past the book shelves, flicking off the main lights before pulling the doors closed behind him, he never locked the doors on the upper floors.  
The night stole over the scattered buildings, driving away learners and lecturers alike, leaving the gloaming campus deserted, eerily lifeless compared to its daytime bustle. Only a flicker of life still warmed the cooling stone, high in the library building, in the little traversed advanced law section, a lone light burned in a small study booth, valiantly hedging out the gathering darkness.

Large wet drops started to drum a steady tattoo against the pane, Mari shivered as the brooding blackness tapped angrily at the thin sheet of glass that sheltered her, making her feel even smaller, more isolated in a cold and uncaring city. She gingerly picked up her phone, the electronic glare washing out her freckles as she flipped though the pictures, lingering long on the ones of her parents and friends, trying to recall their warmth and laughter, trying to forget that they were all so very far away…

The un-moving faces were not enough, lifeless pictures not easing the dull ache that had settled in her breast. Mari scrolled through her very short list of contact numbers, and dialed one, listening as the dialing tone shifted to Alya and Nino’s new voicemail. She could recite the whole greeting by heart, but the voices of 2 of her dearest friends, sounding so happy, so carefree, still brought a smile to her lips. So she listened as the newlyweds sing-songed a silly greeting, listened as the happy couple announced their honeymoon, listened as Alya and Nino assured her that they would be back in a few months, listened as they invited her to leave a message, and hung up.  
After a short pause, Mari redialed the number, a tear creeping down her cheek as she listened to the happy voices of her friends over and over again…

 

Her small sigh was part relief, and part resignation. The statement that she had just requested from the finance department showed that all her payments were in order, the small loan in her parent’s name still covering the costs of her tuition. She had this going for her at least, even if her application for a dormitory room was still declined, there just weren’t any available at the moment… She would just have to make do…

A quick glance to ensure the coast was clear and Mari flipped open her campus locker, stowing the letter and quickly retrieving her diary and lecture notes, averting her eyes from the looming black shape that inhabited the bottom half of the compartment. Her gaze flickered to it quickly as she closed the locker door, she would be back for the large black suitcase after dark, away from prying eyes, she needed to rotate out some of her clothes…

Mari showered and took care of her toiletries quickly, so as not to attract the attention of the gymnasium staff. Access to the gymnasium, and its washrooms, was included in her fees, it was something her mother had insisted on when she started studying, initially she had resisted, but now it came as a life saver. She was quick to press a change of clothes into her satchel bag, retrieving them from a large duffel she kept crammed into one of the gym lockers, moving the bag every few days to remain inconspicuous…  
On her way out she flashed her student card to the warden at the gymnasium door, a little more guilt in her expression than she would have liked perhaps…  
Her eye fell on an abandoned newspaper in a trash can, quick as she could she snatched it up and bundled it under her arm as she made her way to the cafeteria.

The cooks greeted her cheerfully as she stumbled in the side door, pulling on an apron and started her chores, mopping, busking, serving the early rush, scrubbing dishes. As a bakers daughter Mari was no stranger to hard work and a fast pace, her bright smile and happy face even during the hardest press was why the cafeteria staff had allowed her to stay far longer than any other casual. When not serving customers Mari kept her head down and worked diligently, Tikki was depending on her…  
With the morning rush over and most of the dishes washed, the chief Matron, a stern faced woman of few words (and all of them loud), barked that Marinette could take her lunch coupon and go. Mari greeted her warmly like she always did, asked politely for a sweet roll from the ‘day olds’ display like she always did, thanked the Matron kindly and fled, like she always did.  
She clutched the free lunch coupon in trembling fingers, at least she would eat well today, it was always a gamble, the cafeteria could easily turn her away if they didn’t need her…  
But it was not for the coupon that Mari worked the cafeteria, she slipped into a restroom cubicle and locked the door before opening her satchel and letting out Tikki, “Here you go!” she handed the sweet treat to her kwami, “They had caramel this time! I know how you like those!”, Tikki looked hard at the sweet bun for a moment before her eyes locked with Mari’s, the little kwami’s eyes swimming with gratitude as she zipped up and kissed Marinette’s cheek, nuzzling her chosen fondly before taking the sticky confection.

 

She had figured out how to make this work, it was not ideal but she was surviving.  
Mari spent whatever time she had between lectures and studies, grazing the classifieds for any kind of employment, her clothes were stashed in her college and gymnasium lockers, the rest of the belongings she had felt necessary to keep were packed into a few boxes she had convinced the cafeteria staff to let her store in the boiler room behind the kitchen. What she could not carry, had been left behind in her otherwise empty room at the bakery…  
She had learned to be opportunistic, and careful to not draw attention, alternating between the gymnasium showers, general campus bathrooms, and the small cafeteria washroom. Thus were her ablutions taken care of.  
Sleeping arrangements however, had been harder. Mari despaired of ever being granted a dormitory room, the academic year was in full swing and they were all fully booked, her name was on a waiting list, but Mari wasn’t holding her breath, she would have to make do…

Her first nights on the campus had been less than comfortable, deserted lecture halls and store rooms did not lend themselves well to a peaceful night. Especially when combined with the ever present dread of being found out. She scarcely believed her luck the first night her presence in the library went unnoticed, or the discovery of the executive washrooms on the top floor (which she imagined were used only for symposiums and conference attendees). So sneaking into the library had become part of her routine, she quickly learned how to avoid the less than attentive staff so she could spend the night in the relative comfort and warmth of the study booths. It was by no means ideal, but for now it was the best she could do… 

Today had been a relatively good day, as Mari settled quietly into the library study booth, Tikki slipped from her bag and snuggled into her collar for some warmth, and to offer her chosen a little comfort. The pair rarely spoke these days, they didn’t need to, if anything their bond was stronger than ever.  
Mari raised her hand and gently stroked the kwami’s velvety head, Tikki’s soft chirps drawing a small smile across her lips, as long as she had her kwami by her side, she could make this work, she could survive, there was hope.

Carefully, Mari arranged the booth to look as if she was working there, so that if she was found, her alibi of ‘fell asleep studying,’ and ‘ohmigosh! whattimeisit!’ would hold water… She plugged the charger of her phone into the outlet under the table, and dropped the device back into her bag, never noticing the plug come loose from her phone in the process… 

 

The call sounded to wrap up and clear set, Adrien allowed himself to be lead to a dressing room and be divested of clothing that cost as much as a down payment on a car… a _nice_ car…  
The photoshoot had ended early, all the models performed brilliantly, the magazine directors and photographers were deliriously happy, this left Adrien with the rest of the day to himself. And it was only 10:30… AM… how does the saying go? everything you do comes up roses…  
Even Plagg was being less of a little shit of late, snapping up the cheese Adrien offered him and disappearing again without complaint. Adrien hoisted his satchel bag over his shoulder and strolled out into the city, hopping onto a random tram to see where it took him. Life was about the little adventures no?

Plagg flitted out of Adrien’s bag the moment his apartment door closed behind them, how he had ever convinced his overbearing and controlling father to allow him to move out baffled him, but he had. And only a fortnight later he had spent his first night in his own place, having found a perfect two bedroom apartment in a newer complex near the campus. Adrien collapsed onto the sofa, and grinned up at Plagg who was draped over the backrest. The little kwami looked distracted, his slitted green eyes narrow, one little ear giving an involuntary twitch. Adrien reached up and rubbed the twitchy ear to sooth his kwami, the green eyes closed all the way, and a thready purr quickly became snoring. Adrien chuckled at his magical companion, he could scarcely remember a time when he had felt so completely content.

Later that evening Adrien found his kwami sitting on a window sill, peering out into the twinkling city, it was a beautiful clear night, and Adrien stopped to share the view. The feeling of eyes on him drew his attention back to the little black cat kwami, who had shifted his gaze to look up at his chosen, Plaggs whiskers were uncharacteristically low as he returned his attention to the city beyond the glass, leaning his small paws against the pane, “I wonder how Ladybug’s doing…”

Hawkmoth had been quiet recently, and as a result, so had Paris’s superhero team, it had in fact been weeks since they had seen each other.  
“She’s Ladybug Plagg, I’m sure, wherever she is,” He sighed fondly, as memory of his Lady and her radiant smile flashed across his conscious, “she’s just as amazing as ever.”

Plagg was looking at him again, and Adrien could see the concern in those unnervingly green eyes “I hope so kid, I hope so.” Adrien watched his companion drift away towards his bedroom, and he cast his eyes over the darkened city again before he followed, he had no concern for his Lady, she was strong and resourceful and, well, Ladybug. But even as he readied himself for bed a small grain of discontent tickled at the back of his mind. Plagg had mentioned their reverse of luck in this generation. And he couldn’t deny the evidence of this in his own life. But Ladybug and her kwami were the very incarnation of good luck weren’t they? how bad could their luck possibly be?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read my other contributions, you _may_ find a few things that look familiar in this fic... dont hate me...  
>  Adriens oblivious, bless him...

Adrien shuffled through the selves, suppressing a yawn, it was way too early in the morning for his liking. But getting to the library early meant getting out again before being crushed in the rush. He was studying architecture and civil engineering, and he _loved it_! Like all students however there were subjects that he despised, the one he was currently researching for, as an example, hinged on the legalities surrounding construction, building site safety, and frankly who gets sued if something falls down! His eyes crinkled in distaste as he hefted a tome from the self, inspected the contents and returned it to its place, he had no liking for law… it all sounded too much like people looking for pitiful excuses to be mean to each other…  
“ _Ah!_ ” he found the volume he’d been looking for. Flipping casually to the page he needed, Adrien ambled to the far end of the room where the photocopier stood.

As the machine whined and hummed into life, flashing a little ‘warming up’ message, Adrien allowed his attention to drift, he was alone on this floor of the library, even though he was here early, very few students ever ventured into the advanced law section unless they really _really_ had to. So it was a surprise to find that he was in fact, _not_ , alone.

Only just visible from where he stood, he could see papers and stationary strewn across the table of one of the study booths, curiosity caused him to lean out a little, revealing the occupant of the room, a girl, leaned back against the padded bench, her head propped up in the corner, fast asleep.  
Now finding random students passed out around campus was nothing new, especially in exam weeks, but something about this particular girl gave him pause.

Adrien stepped up to the door of the booth, the girl behind the glass tugging hard at some part of his memory. Her hair was longer now, tied in a single cascade of black rather than the pigtails she had favoured, her freckles had multiplied, but beyond a shadow of a doubt he knew her. A grin played across his mouth as he breathed her name “ _Marinette!_ ”

Mari’s was roused from sleep by a soft tapping, her eyes fluttered open to a window bathed in early morning sunshine… “ _Merde!_ ” the sun was up, she had overslept! She bolted upright, at the same time registering that the tapping had come from the door to her booth “ _Oh PUTAIN!_ ” She flashed a panicked look at the boy who had by now carefully opened the door to her booth “Hey there!”  
Mari quickly buried her face in her hands, scrubbing the sleep from her eyes, “Uhm, Hi! oh man! I must have fallen asleep while studying!” she rattled off the carefully rehearsed line. She’d been found like this before, as long as she acted convincing, other students would buy her ruse, “what time is it!?” She seized her phone from her bag, and noticed the dangling charger cable, no wonder her alarm had not woken her, the device was dead “typical!” she hissed under her breath, tossing it back in her bag and scrambling to collect her papers and stationary.  
“Whoa easy! you still have at least,” he glanced at his watch, “50 minutes before the first lectures start!” Mari breathed a genuine sigh of relief, at least she wasn’t late.  
“Look, thanks for waking me, this could have been a disaster!” Mari, still gathering her belongings albeit at a less frantic pace, cast only a glance at the boy, now leaning casually against the door frame, why was he still standing there?!  
“Not a problem!”  
Stuffing the last of her things into her satchel, she quickly made to leave the booth, pointedly not making eye contact with the boy “Thanks again! bye! ”  
“Marinette?” the sound of her name froze her in her tracks more surely than the hand that had fallen on her shoulder.

Mari’s eyes traced the arm back to the boy it belonged to, across his broad, well filled shoulders, up the graceful curve of his neck, over the warm amused grin he wore, and eventually resting on eyes the colour of meadows in May, eyes she would know anywhere, Adrien…  
She must have said his name out loud, because he threw his head back with a happy laugh, “I knew it was you!” he almost knocking her over, as he threw his arms around her shoulders and pulling her into a rough hug “Marinette!”  
All Mari managed was a stifled squeak, which made Adrien laugh again, a rolling melodious sound that made her knees go weak. He pushed her back to arms-length, his hands on her shoulders as his eyes raked over her “I can’t believe it’s you!”  
“Wh-what are you doing here?!” he stammered, he was grinning like a school boy, and Mari couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her, “I’m- I study here.”  
“WHAT!”  
Mari nodded, words sticking in her throat, Adrien just gaped, his eyes drifting to a point in space somewhere over her head, before snapping back down to hers “You’ve been here the whole time?” She nodded again, Adrien sagged a little “One of my friends has been here the whole time, and I had no idea! Mon Dieu, I’ve missed you guys so much!” He hung his head as the truth of his own words hit him, he hadn’t realized it until just then, but it was undeniable, despite everything just going right for him since leaving high school, he’d been lonely. Mari saw the sincerity in his eyes and her heart shattered.  
His shoulders shook softly as he started to chuckle under his breath, he met her eyes again, and his were a little misty, “I’m so glad to see you Mari.”  
He hugged her again, more gently this time, and Mari wound her arms around his back, harshly stifling the part of her brain that was trying to freak out because she was hugging Adrien. Another part of her brain going a mile a minute trying to figure out when last she had actually paid Adrien a second thought, and coming up empty…

She felt him stiffen slightly and push her away, “Oh! Mari! you accidentally spent the night here in the library didn’t you!? you probably want to go home and freshen up? will you have enough time?”  
A tight knot formed in her throat, Dieu if only he knew… “A- actually I have a change of clothes in my? gym locker! I was going to change into them later, a-after a workout! I’ll just use those… I’ll be fine for today!” She didn’t manage to pull the lie out as smoothly as she would have liked, but then Adrien was used to her stammering around him for years, she prayed he didn’t notice “ _please buy it, please buy it, please buy it…_ ”  
“Oh! wow! what a stroke of luck!” Adrien grinned at her.  
“ _Yes!_ ”

Adrien combed his hand through his hair, worrying at the back of his head nervously “I don’t want to keep you, but, I’d love to get together for a chat? if you like?”  
“ _Oh hell no I cant risk him finding out about…_ ” her eyes met his again, and her heart melted, he looked so expectant, like a child at Christmas, he had said he had missed his friends, he’d been so happy to see her, her of all people, she couldn’t bring herself to let him down, “I’d love to…”

His grin took in his ears, they quickly made arrangements to meet at a small coffee shop on campus the next day, after their lectures, and left the library smiling as they said their goodbyes. Adrien was positively giddy as he sauntered down the corridor towards his first lecture.  
Behind him, making her way as quickly as she dared towards the cafeteria, Mari broke a little inside…


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set a few days after Mari and Adrien's first meeting...  
> Is- Is Plagg actually being _helpful_???

“She’s avoiding you…” Plagg bobbed beside Adrien’s head as he walked the corridor to his apartment.  
“Don’t be silly…” Adrian huffed, but the conviction felt forced, she had cancelled the meeting they had planned that day, and claimed plans for after the weekend, well she had life right? she was probably just busy.  
“She is though, and she’s lying too, she hides it well, but she is…”  
“W- why on earth would she lie Plagg? what are you saying exactly?…” He’d noticed it too, well not exactly lying, but leaving questions open ended, not quite committing to a clear answer, changing the subject…  
“Dunno, but things with her don’t add up, she’s lost weight too…”  
“What?…”  
“Yup, look at her hands next time, you’ll see…” This rocked Adrien a little, she’d always been slim, but thinking about it now, her clothes did seem a little loose on her. 

Other inconsistencies regarding his high school friend were coming to the fore now. “It- it’s odd that her bag was in the library again, and why was there a suitcase in her locker though…” Less than an hour ago, he had gone back to the library, researching for his least favourite subject, it had been Plagg that had spotted Mari’s satchel stuffed under the bench in the very last booth. And when Adrien had bumped into Mari in the almost deserted corridors late yesterday, she had closed the locker alarmingly fast at his arrival, but he had still managed to catch a glimpse of the black suitcase crammed in the back.

Plagg settled onto Adrien’s shoulder as he fumbled with the keys to his apartment, “Maybe that’s where she’s keeping her clothes…”  
“What the hell Plagg!? why would she keep her clothes in a suitcase in her locker?...” his mind was spinning, trying to make sense of all the strange inconsistencies, but Plagg had a point, what else did one usually keep in suitcases.  
“You did see that there was a change of clothes in her bag as well?...”  
Yes? but…” Adrien still felt guilty for that, curiosity was a cat like tendency, one he had inherited with his miraculous right alongside claws and purring, he had opened the bag to see if it really was Mari’s.  
“and toothpaste? almost as if she was _planning_ to spend the night in the library?...” Adrien realized that Plagg was trying to tell him something, guiding him to a conclusion.  
“Maybe she’s pulling an all-nighter! students do that you know!...”  
“But alone in the _library_?! wont _home_ be a lot more comfortable?!...” Again, Plagg had a point.  
Adrien knew he was just arguing for the sake of arguing now, a grim picture was beginning to paint itself in his head and he was desperately trying to deny the conclusion he was barrelling towards.

Plagg was silent for a few moments allowing Adrien to process before adding quietly.  
“They have a very nice washroom up there in the library that they don’t lock you know, maybe that’s why she was planning on staying there…” A hand of ice tightened around Adrien’s heart, and his hand started trembling.  
“Plagg, what are you saying…”  
“I really _really_ hope I’m wrong kid, but we kwami have had chosen who have fallen on hard times before, I’m just pointing out what I see…”  
Adrien sank boneless into his sofa, hands worrying at his hair “Mon Dieu, Mari…”

It had taken Adrien perhaps thirty seconds, from settling to the sofa, to making a decision, once he had, he moved like a man possessed, he grabbed his keys and was off running. He gunned the engine of his sedan, driving more than a little recklessly, he had to be sure, the implications were heart rending, he had to see for himself. Everything would be fine, the bakery was her home, she’d said so…  
The conversation he’d had with her played on repeat in his head;  
“ _Your parents are in China? Wow! so where do you stay now Mari? still at the bakery?_ ”  
“ _The bakery has always been my home…_ ” open ended, non-committal, a truth disguised as a safe answer… she’d smiled as she said it, she’d changed the subject after that…

It _had_ always been, his mind’s eye recalled the flowers on her balcony, the warmth of the ovens, the delicate shades of pink and lavender that had made the place feel warm and homely, the heaps of cushions and stuffies on her divan… He begged every deity listening that this is exactly what he would find… that everything would be fine…

He could see it before he even stopped the car, he climbed out and read it anyway, the sign hanging askew in the window mocked him, it was a personal insult, so innocently, callously, announcing new ownership, a denial of the loving, amazing people that had lived there for as long as he could remember. The black, hollow windows stared back, as devoid of warmth as the brooding sky overhead.  
Slowly he made his way to the side of the building and scaled the rattling fire escape, he flipped over the railing of her little balcony, desolate without the jungle of flowering plants she had kept here. As if in mockery, a single weed pushed up between the tiles. Adrien crushed it under foot as he stepped up to the window. He knew what he would see, the signs downstairs had told him everything he needed to know, in spite of this, the sight of Mari’s old room, once so warm and welcoming, shook him anew. It lay barren and deserted, what furniture remained was piled up against one wall, covered in a sheet and kept company by a few dusty boxes. Gone were the pastel shades and warm light, muted to grey and sombre tones in the creeping darkness. 

He didn’t know why he did it, but Adrien seized the window and using the trick that Mari had taught him years ago, when he had come here as Chat Noir, he jimmied it open.  
His shoes raised small puffs of dust as he stepped carefully into the center of the room, the full realization of Mari’s situation slowly clawing into his conscious again, leaving him sick and trembling. 

He sank to his knees, mindless of the dust cloying to his trousers, only realizing he was crying when a drop fell from his chin, leaving an ink black stain on the dusty floor. 

This was Mari’s, warm, sweet, caring Mari’s home, only it wasn’t, the realization that had brooded over his mind like a black shadow finally fell on him, thick and nauseating and stifling, he choked back a ragged sob as more tears mottled the floor.  
Mari, beautiful, selfless, precious Mari, the shy, sweet girl that had sat behind him in homeroom, that had brought cookies to school to share, who’s tinkling laugh and bright smile could light up a room, who had opened her heart and her home to him as both Adrien, and Chat Noir.  
Mari had no home… 

Adrien started at pressure against his temple, and looked up to see Plagg rubbing his little head against his hair in a very cat-like gesture of comfort. Adrien sucked in a steadying breath, rocked backwards onto his feet and straightened, scooping his kwami from the air to sit in his cupped hands.  
Plagg’s alien green eyes glowed in the dim light “So, what now champ?”  
Adrien’s brow knotted, his voice low, “I can’t let Mari spend another night like this.”  
The kwami grinned, showing little fangs “What you gonna do ‘bout it?”  
Adrien regarded his kwami for a moment, before stuffing Plagg back into his blazer pocket “Well, we know where she intends to be tonight,” He vaulted easily out of the open window, closing it as an after-thought, launching himself down the fire escape, and back behind the wheel of his car, “let’s go find our friend.” Plagg’s snigger brought a rueful smile to his lips, he was going to make this right… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any love for not-such-a-little-shit Plagg?


	4. Chapter 4

He haunted the advanced law section of the library, ghosting in and out of the shelves, waiting for Marinette to show. Adrien may have been a literal ‘golden boy’, tall, blonde, and broad of shoulder, someone not easily missed in a crowd, but he was also a celebrity, which meant he’d learnt how to be inconspicuous, how to slip casually by without anyone noticing. He was unsure which contributed more, his practice at sneaking around as a teenage model, or his kwami-gifted cat like stealth, but no one _found_ Adrien, unless he _let_ you.

After the only student stumbled from the room, a harassed looking professor gathered up a few tomes of biblical proportions and also slipped away, one last soul remained, the janitor judging by his attire, whistling tunelessly as he swung lazy eyes across the shelves before turning off the lights. Adrien was lounging in the shadows, he didn’t move as the janitors whistle faded far down the corridor, he didn’t move as he waited alone in the darkness, only the weight of Plagg in his pocket for company. He didn’t have to wait very long.  
Adrien had let his eyes fall shut as he waited, perfectly still in the gloom, the soft squeak of a door hinge was the only indication of Mari’s return, he was impressed, he hadn’t, even with his enhanced hearing, heard her approaching footsteps. He watched as she slipped carefully to the back of the room, and entered the booth.

Adrien stepped from his hiding place, only to draw up short with Plagg hovering a mere two inches from his nose. “You wanna think about this sport?” He blinked at his kwami, Plagg’s eyes narrowed  
“What? you gonna storm in there all guns blazin’?” it was an exaggeration, but Adrien conceded the point… Mari had been very careful to keep this from anyone, from _everyone_ , and he only knew because Plagg had helped him figure it out. He remembered how shy she had been in high school, how brave, how fiercely determined she could be. She’d meant for no one to find out, but he had, she’d meant to rely on no one, but she needed help. If he startled her now, he could lose his chance to help her.

He stepped back, and Plagg settled on a bookshelf at eye level, Adrien gave a sigh and looked at his kwami askance, “Honestly Plagg, I have no idea what to say to her…”  
The black cat kwami was almost invisible in the dim room, only a glowing pair of green, slanted eyes leered from the darkness, “My advice is go slow, no matter what you say it’s going to rattle her, she obviously means to be independent, whatever you do don’t make it sound like you pity her…” the kwami zipped up to peer at Mari’s booth over the shelves “that’ll probably only make her mad.”  
Adrien raised an eyebrow, “Actual advice? from _you_?”  
“Shuddup kid, I’m not completely heartless, besides I like Mari.” the kwami bobbed down and burrowed into Adrien’s collar “Now I trust you kiddo, you got this, but if I see her get flighty, I’m gonna whisper in your ear and you must do exactly as I say, ok?”  
“Ok.” Adrien was touched by his companions show of empathy. Bolstered by Plagg’ s support, Adrien took a long breath, forced his shoulders to relax, and stepped up to the booth that held his high school friend…

“ _This is what a bomb technician must feel like._ ” Adrien’s expression was one of calm, Mari looked like deer caught in the headlights, carefully, kindly, Adrien put the pieces together, explaining what he had seen, the little things he had noticed, he schooled his words, there was no accusation in them, he kept his tone simple, factual, giving her all the room to argue or deny. Plagg had only interjected twice, giving Adrien cues to hold Mari’s attention, to not let her think, to not let her plan her escape, and Adrien kept talking…  
Finally Adrien ran out of things to say. He’d laid bare his findings, and now fell silent, giving Mari time to digest, predictably, she scoffed, tried to brush his observations away with an indignant huff…  
Plagg whispered…   
“I’ve been to the bakery Mari.” It was all he said, the pressure of Plagg’s claws on his neck held him from saying more into the edgy silence. He watched as multiple emotions registered and fell from the girl’s tense features, before the sparkle fled from her eyes, leaving in their wake a tired and haggard visage, she was spent, unable to argue further. His heart broke as he watched Mari’s precious veneer crumble, as she, utterly defeated, folded her arms around herself, and cried.

Adrien held her for a long time until her sobs subsided, and then a little longer as she clung to his shirt front, finally her emotions were spent and she pulled away, looking like a frightened child.  
“W- what are you, going to do?” she kept her eyes firmly glued to her lap.  
Adrien gently slipped a finger under her chin, and lifted her face to look at him, “First, I’m getting you out of here.” 

He’d taken her to her locker first, and fetched her suitcase, Mari then led him to the gymnasium, to retrieve the large duffle bag she kept there.  
The locker door swung shut, and Mari resignedly leaning her head against the cool metal. Beside her, Adrien hefted the bag over his shoulder before laying a gentle hand on her arm, careful to keep his voice soft and low, “Mari?”  
“Mmm?”  
“Is there anything else you have around here?”  
“A couple boxes, in the boiler room behind the cafeteria.”  
“Is there anything in them you need for now?”  
She slowly shook her head, causing the locker door to creak.  
He nodded kindly, “Then we can get those another day,” gently, he turned her away from the lockers, and slung his free arm around her shoulders, for a moment Mari looked like she might protest, but she was exhausted, emotionally and physically exhausted, she leaned into him, and he led her away.

 

“Welcome to Château d'Adreins!” Adrien flipped his keys into a bowl on a small table beside the door, and flung his bag onto one of the stuffed chairs, he turned to Mari who was just pushing his apartment door closed behind her, her eyes wide as she regarded his home, “Time for the grand tour.”  
Walking backwards and using exaggerated hand signals like a plane steward giving the safety speech, Adrien indicated the various rooms giving a short description of their design and function. By the end of it Marinette was trying, and spectacularly failing, to stifle her giggles.

Adrien indicated the second bedroom and ushered Mari in, “Please make yourself comfortable, the dresser and wardrobe are empty, feel free to use both.” Mari gingerly placed her suitcase at the end of the bed and ran a hand over the pale grey comforter.  
Adrien shrugged “I apologise that it’s not pink, but the decorators would probably have had a fit if I asked.” This earned him a scowl from Mari, he just grinned at her. Plagg was whispering furiously from his hiding place under Adrien’s collar. As Adrien listened to his kwamis advice, he watched Mari fade, the small amount of mirth and spirit she had shown falling from her tense shoulders.   
She was about to speak, and a jab of sharp claws spurred him to act.  
A raised finger and a firm ‘shush!’ from Adrien startled her, Mari blinked at him, “Settle in first, get yourself sorted out, then we can discuss the terms of your living here,” If anything her eyes became even rounder “After all, If you are staying here you are going to have to pull your weight no?” Adrien had been nervous to say it, but he was sure that Plagg had been right the moment he had, Mari visibly straightened, the sparkle back in her eyes as she nodded in reply.

Adrien was drained, for the first time since he had confronted her she didn’t look like she was going to run. He let the tension in his shoulders ease, turning on his heel “I’ll go get myself organized and get started on dinner, join me when you’re comfortable.” Adrien walked briskly from the room, gently closing the door behind him, he kept the pace into the living area before sagging like a ragdoll onto the sofa, scrubbing his hands over his face and kneading at his eyes. Plagg bobbed out of his hiding place and grinned a fanged grin at Adrien “Nicely done champ!”  
“Thanks for the help Plagg.”  
“Don’t mention it, but if you insist I’ll accept a mountain of cheese as a suitable reward.” Adrien chuckled, “You got it buddy.”  
“Sweet! I’m going to take a nap, you shouldn’t be able to screw things up too badly from here.” Adrien glared at Plagg, who just sniggered and zipped off, leaving a streak of fading green afterglow in his wake.


	5. Chapter 5

The door clicked shut behind Adrien and his footsteps disappeared in the direction of the kitchen, Mari stood motionless for a long moment just looking around the room. Her legs had gone weak. Slowly she sat down on the edge of the bed, and let herself fall back onto it. It was too much.  
Mari crawled up onto the bed fully and buried her face in the soft linens, just inhaling the smell of clean sheets. How had she gotten this far, how had it all come down to this?  
A soft thump beside her made her glance over, Tikki was collapsed flat on her tummy, gleefully wriggling into the comforter. Mari chuckled, snatching her kwami and stuffing her under a pillow, Tikki made a happy little chirp and refused to come out.  
Mari laughed softly, the action snapping apart the tension that had gripped her for weeks. So focused on just surviving, Mari had been oblivious to the nagging fear and doubt and wretchedness that had cloyed to her every waking moment, they fled now, dissolving to nothing. In their place she felt simple relief, hitting her so hard it made her stomach turn. Tikki did burrow out under the pillow now to gently pat her chosen’s head as the soft laugh became tears, as the release of weeks of strain and hiding and fear washed away and left her boneless and trembling. Her heart bursting with gratitude towards the boy who had found her. Who had saved her.

 

It didn’t take Mari long to unpack what little she had, and soon enough, she found herself met with the prospect of facing Adrien Agreste again. At first her trepidation at seeing him was based on him potentially discovering her situation. Well, that ship had sailed, but now a new, or rather, an old trepidation was rearing its ugly head. It hadn’t taken long for her school girl crush to blossom anew.  
She stood just inside the door, hand frozen on the handle as the sheer insanity of the situation slowly dawned on her, newly illuminated by the old feelings that had come flooding back. She was living with Adrien Agreste, with her crush, in the same house, together… She felt light headed, as if she couldn’t get enough air… Mon Deiu she was she really going to _live_ with Adrien Agreste!?

A sharp chirp shattered her thoughts, Mari’s eyes darted to Tikki, who was floating close to her face with concern in her blue eyes. Only then did Mari notice that her knuckles had whitened on the door handle. Carefully she took a deep breath, steadying her nerves and sternly reminding herself that she was not a teenager anymore, it helped, barely… Tikki nuzzled her chosen’s cheek lovingly, and her kwami’s support finally bolstered Mari enough to just open the door and take the first step, She knew herself well enough that if she could just get some forward momentum, she could ride it out. For starters, she was just going to have to deal with this stupid crush…

“Mince, veg and pasta thing, or chicken, croutons and stir fry thing?” This was the question that met Mari when she tentatively stuck her head out of the bedroom door. Adrien had lost his jacket, his top button was undone and sleeves rolled up, he was weighing two containers thoughtfully in front of his open refrigerator. Mari blinked a few times before her brain comprehended what she had been asked, “Uhm? Mince, veg and pasta?” Adrien nodded, apparently satisfied, “Good choice”, one container was dismissively returned to the fridge, which was kicked closed as he turned, and the other container was deposited into the oven to warm. “Sorry,” he said turning to her for the first time, “its left overs I’m afraid, it’s a little late to start something fresh.” Mari quickly waved away his apology, whatever _it_ was, was already starting to smell delicious.

While they waited for their dinner to warm, the pair started sorting out a schedule, solidifying each of their responsibilities and drawing up a duty roster. Adrien had marveled, Mari poured herself into the task, delegating tasks quickly and forming a rotating roster that had the pair sharing equal parts of housekeeping duties. The new roster finalized in Mari’s flowing script, was stuck to the fridge by a tacky ‘I ♥ Paris’ magnet just as the oven timer sounded.

She was quite sure she had never tasted anything finer, Adrien’s ‘mince, veg and pasta thing’ resembled a lasagne, consisting of lean mince that had been braised with onion and mushrooms, and layered with cheesy pasta and coarsely chopped steamed vegetables.  
She was fully halfway through the huge helping that Adrien had served her before she started losing momentum, and was finally able to speak between mouthfuls.  
“This is amazing!”  
“Thank you! it just something I threw together.”  
“You seriously made this?”  
“Yup!”  
Mari eyed him suspiciously, and the easy grin fell from Adrien’s face, “What?”  
Mari took another mouthful and chewed contemplatively before answering, making Adrien fidget, “Well, it’s just that I sort of recall Nino telling us how you almost burnt his house down,” she raised an eyebrow, “more than once!”  
Adrien chuckled, “Ok, ok, guilty! the cooking is a relatively new thing…” he shrugged and Mari was sure she saw a faint flush colour his cheeks, “It was something I wanted to try, so I signed up for some classes, and found that I really enjoyed it!” He grinned at Mari “And I like to think I’m pretty good at it?”  
She tapped her fork and pouted thoughtfully for a moment before declaring, “Insufficient data, gonna need to try more of your food.”  
Adrien threw back his head in a hearty laugh “Consider it done!”  
Mari giggled shyly, her own cheeks colouring at her forwardness.  
Her timidity fled her again however when Adrien tried to gather up the dishes, she sternly pointed out their brand new schedule, where they had less than a hour previously decided that whoever was responsible for dinner left the other responsible for the dishes! Adrien was forced to relent…

 

Adrien force himself to un-clench his hand, his knuckles having whitened around the innocent pencil he was strangling. In all honesty Adrien was a nervous wreck, his lecturer’s words barely registering above the near deafening buzz of his own anxiety. “ _Is she going to be there when I get back…?_ ” It was the first day after he had ‘rescued’ Marinette, and his nerves were busy killing him. That morning she had risen first, he had found her in the kitchen, looking honestly guilty for making herself a cup of tea… He’d made them breakfast, shed eaten quickly, still appearing unsure and flighty, he was almost sure he’d broken her when he handed her a spare key to the apartment, “ _In case you get back before me_ ,”. He had honestly considered not giving her a key, to prevent her from running, but the last thing he had wanted was to make her feel trapped, he wanted her to trust him, Plagg had agreed with his choice, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t going a little stir-crazy with worry.  
His day passed in a painfully slow haze, the world seemed to wade through molasses, with himself being the only one unaffected. Adrien felt like he was losing his mind. “ _Mon Dieu please let her come back_ ,”.  
She had left the apartment a little before him, sheepishly calling a goodbye as she closed the door. He had never thought that a simple apartment door could sound so much like the dropping of the gallows. He had almost stayed home, pacing and fretting to see if she would come back, for all the attention he had paid during his lectures, he may as well have… Finally, his lectures ended and he was on his way home, it was taking every ounce of self-restraint he had to not break into a sprint.

His hand stalled on the door knob, an empty dread filling his mind as he imagined walking inside and finding no sign of her, her room empty, after everything to find her flown, with no idea of where she might be, or how to help her. Adrien chilled.  
The prick of tiny claws drew his attention, Plagg’s luminous green eyes burning up at him from the depths of his blazer pocket. He took a deep breath, shared a quiet nod with his kwami, and pushed open the door…

A pair of eyes as bright as a summer sky caught his, she sat curled up on his couch, a book in her lap, Adrien’s wash of relief was enough to make him light headed.  
“H- hi Adrien.” he wasn’t sure he’d ever heard anything more lovely.

Dinner and dishes done (Adrien having to use Mari’s own tactics against her to secure his job as dish-washer that evening), he shuffled to the 3 seater couch where Mari sat, having returned to her book after he’d ousted her from the kitchen. He collapsed into it heavily, throwing his arms over the backrest and letting his head fall back, and his eyes fall closed.

Her voice was soft, as if she was afraid to speak “L- long day?”  
A smile played at the corners of his mouth “Stuffy lectures, stuffy lecturers, same old same old,” he lied smoothly, he was _not_ going to tell her the real reason for his weariness was because he had worried about _her_ all day, he opened his eyes just enough to look at her side on “just glad to be home.”  
She gave him a small, sweet smile before turning her attention timidly back to the book in her lap, Adrien let his eyes fall closed again, content to just _be_ for a while. “ _This is… nice_ ,” he caught himself thinking, “ _just having someone else here, feels nice_.”


End file.
